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Taylor: Snafu Derails Cedarville Momentum

Kevin has been a sports reporter for the Times Record since July 1999. He covers high school sports, with an emphasis on Southside High School. Previously, he was sports editor at the Palestine (Texas) Herald-Press from 1992-99. Kevin was selected the Texas Sports Writers Association Sports Writer of the Year in 1996. A native of Conroe, Texas, Kevin has won numerous writing awards and is the author of "Tiger Boogie," a book chronicling the school's dominate high school football run between 1961-85.

There’s something to be said about getting older. You can’t run as fast, jump as high or shoot a basketball with the zip you had 30 years earlier.

On the other hand, one thing about getting older is how clear things become. It’s as if some sort of magical light switch is clicked. That apparently can’t be said for what’s happened this fall with the Cedarville Pirates.

Unlike most programs, Cedarville ran afoul when it came to checking the grades of all its football players. The Arkansas Activities Association requires all athletes to carry a 2.0 GPA. To his credit, when coach Mark Shelton was made aware that one of its players had participated in three of Cedarville’s games (wins against Mountainburg, Conway Christian and Atkins), the school reported to the Arkansas Activities Association. Tuesday afternoon, the AAA forced the Pirates to forfeit three games.

Just like that Cedarville went from 5-0 to 2-3.

The reason Cedarville had to forfeit those games wasn’t the fault of the athlete in question or even the coaches or administrators. But rules are rules. It doesn’t matter if the player in question was the holder for the field goal kicker, played third-string linebacker or played every down.

Yet, somewhere between spring practice and the first semester, someone dropped the ball. Someone missed it.

“You make the grades, you get to play.” It’s as simple as that.

Way back in 1985, the University Interscholastic League adopted House Bill 72 down in Texas, or as it was later coined by football coaches, “no pass, no play.” Oh, imagine the uproar Gov. Mark White caused by making sure players went to class.

Coaches fumed, small towns protested and big-time programs were appalled.

Of course, when the thought of making sure every small town’s star quarterback was taking that math test actually sunk in, that it was simply a matter of common sense, it all made sense.